If trees are so important to the earth why are we destroying rainforests?


forest.jpg external image deforestation-tree-removal.JPG
Before Deforestation After Deforestation
Natasha-Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest—an area larger than Greece—and since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKIgleUBDdE[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKIgleUBDdEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JEJ-lV8Eso&feature=related|__http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JEJ-lV8Eso&feature=related__]] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEcKeK4i4Ag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c3pbvEYBCI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQy8TI5JFiM&feature=related
Deforestation Figures for Brazil
Year
Deforestation
[sq mi]

Deforestation
[sq km]

Change
[%]





1988
8,127
21,050

1989
6,861
17,770
-16%
1990
5,301
13,730
-23%
1991
4,259
11,030
-20%
1992
5,323
13,786
25%
1993
5,751
14,896
8%
1994
5,751
14,896
0%
1995
11,220
29,059
95%
1996
7,012
18,161
-38%
1997
5,107
13,227
-27%
1998
6,712
17,383
31%
1999
6,664
17,259
-1%
2000
7,037
18,226
6%
2001
7,014
18,165
0%
2002
8,260
21,394
17%
2003
9,748
25,247
19%
2004
10,588
27,423
9%
2005
7,276
18,846
-31%
2006
5,447
14,109
-49%
2007
4,453
11,532
-47%
2008
4,621
11,968
-47%